Central Peninsula Hospital | Thrive | Spring 2018

Mammograms give women a crucial head start on finding breast cancer early when treatment is often most effective. They can detect tumors that are still too tiny to feel and identify cancers before symptoms start. Still, although they’ve saved countless lives, these breast x-rays aren’t perfect. Mammograms may miss about 20 percent of all breast cancers, the National Cancer Institute reports. They can also cause false alarms by indicat- ing abnormalities that turn out not to be cancer. As a result, women may undergo unnecessary, and often anxiety- producing, additional testing, including biopsies. A different dimension in breast x-rays A newer type of mammogram, how- ever, may help overcome these flaws and improve the accuracy of breast Central Peninsula Hospital is proud to provide a breast cancer navigation program. The goal of the program is to assist breast cancer patients and their families by providing information and multidisciplinary support and to facilitate quality care, starting from the time of diagnosis, throughout all phases of treatment and into survivorship. For more information about the breast cancer navigation program, contact Amber Every at 907-714-4604 or Heather Moon at 907-714-4130 . An updated view for breast cancer 3 -D MAMMOGRAMS cancer screening. It’s called three- dimensional, or 3-D, mammography. (Breast tomosynthesis is another name for it.) Here’s how it works: During a 3-D mammogram, a woman’s breast is compressed, just as it is for a standard mammogram. An x-ray machine moves over the breast, taking multiple, slicelike pictures. Special com- puter software then creates a detailed 3-D image of the breast. Research suggests that 3-D mammograms have the potential to: ●   ● Improve the ability of doctors to accurately diagnose breast cancer. ●   ● Find small tumors that may have remained hidden on a conventional mammogram. ●   ● Provide clearer images of abnormali- ties in dense breasts. Women who have dense breasts—defined as breasts that have a lot of fibrous or glandular tissue and not much fat—are at a slightly higher risk of developing breast cancer. ●   ● Greatly reduce the number of women called back for further testing because of false alarms. Get tested The American Cancer Society recom- mends that women at average risk of breast cancer have yearly mammograms starting at age 45. (Women between 40 and 44 have the option to start screen- ing with a mammogram every year.) Additional source: Radiological Society of North America 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. 3 reasons why you need a mammogram If caught early, the five-year survival rate for breast cancer is nearly 100 percent . 8 in 9 women diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history of the disease. Source: breastcancer.org YOU’RE NOT ALONE BREAST CANCER NAVIGATION PROGRAM Need a mammogram? SCHEDULE YOUR 3-D SCREENING at Central Peninsula Imaging by calling 907-714-4542 . 4 Central Peninsula Hospital